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This totally unfiltered close up is the most make up you’ll see me wear! I just finished a make up tutorial video I promised my sister & this is the result. Putting on make up and giving a commentary makes it take ages but covered the basic things I use…because I don’t ever wear make up that needs reapplying or retouching so I tend to apply it and wipe it off so the residue is sufficient. Means to the untrained eye it’s hard to tell if I have make up on!

Basic info… I’m 43 this year but I use #cremedelamer moisturiser daily and as I’m #nocturnal, sun damage is limited. I do think #cremedelamer has an anti aging effect…but being a #hermit I don’t really get to compare myself to other people my age. I don’t drink. Quit smoking 9 years ago. Vegetarian for years and vegan for much of it and I dance every day. I think exercise is better than any makeup!
Make up I used…#wunderbrow eyebrow gel (not v neat but I was rushing!), #MineralPowder inc light reflecting #LaMer finishing powder. Lush cream eyeshadow & liquid eyeliner. Lush #redlipstick and tinted #lipbalm.

I do tint my eyebrows and eyelashes and #henna my hair fortnightly. Hair kept shiny with #Lush shampoos and conditioners as I avoid any silicone based products and heat styling. My hair hasn’t actually been cut for about 2 years so as you can see…split ends not a problem!

I was referred for brain scans and tests and prescribed drugs after having a few grand mal/tonic clonic seizures. But found out I had many petit mal partial seizures.

They can affect me in different ways but don’t appear seizure like to anyone watching. I lose my ability to understand what I see. Or I lose my short term memory. Mostly. Or those are the ones I notice.

But due to a v negative effect to an SSRI prescribed during a career change ( which clashes with the autistically wired brain and made me insane! Almost literally), in 2009 I saw my neurologist and said I would like to go drug free because of the mid to long term side effects of drug treatment.

He agreed with me…and we had a long conversation about philosophy where he recommended I read 7 years in Tibet and I recommended he read the Bhagavhad Gita (seriously…there is something about aspers that’s refreshing to those who think spiritually or philosophically…I never expect to have a conversation about it but people feel they can talk on a level with me!).

Anyway. I’m tired tonight and worked a long day so I was busy telling my viewers about my henna mix (hair dye), when my TLE struck. It happens when I rush or when I relax. Light, noise and reading can aggravate it. So I take care to minimise risks. I take valerian root and wind down for a few hours before bed. Wear sunglasses in the bedroom etc.

But fluke of flukes, just had one when I was recording. This is interesting to me. I notice my hand goes to my head like it hurts. It doesn’t hurt. It feels like white noise explosion in the brain. But I don’t fall, I don’t slur, I don’t forget what I am saying even though I go off at a tangent. Most importantly, if I hadn’t told the viewers I was having one, you wouldn’t have known.

Which is why until I had a big seizure, no one knew I had epilepsy!

Listening back to it, I do notice I pause between words increasingly before I have the seizure. And in this tired state, I move my head a lot as if focusing my eyes is uncomfortable. Which it is. And which is usually my cue for a Hepburn treatment (oversized sunglasses indoors).

I am going to post this for epilepsy awareness. Epilepsy doesn’t carry the stignma it once did. For some reason people with aspergers are more likely than average to have epilepsy. Also, sometimes people grow in and out of it.

My autism and epilepsy would be considered disabilities by some. I don’t feel that way about them. Some people have stinky feet and cake addictions…far more debilitating! Also allergies…much worse. So I don’t consider my autism or my epilepsy as disability. Some people have bad manners…surely, that’s worse!

So, I am posting this up with the seizure included for people who don’t know about epilepsy (or henna). Not all epilepsy is grand mal seizures with thrashing about and blue lips. And not all petit mal seizures are the same! I can talk when mine happen but usually can’t see!

I could write more…but I don’t want to write a medical journal article. I just thought maybe it would be informative. If I have never seen myself have a partial seizure before, I expect most people haven’t seen me have one. So it’s sort of interesting…but also may help you understand a bit more about epilepsy in general.

Plus…anything about natural beauty products like henna powder and coconut oil are interesting in a whole different way! So there’s something for everyone!

And also, now you know why I wear sunglasses in the house at night. I am of course, that cool! But they serve a function too!

#nomakeupselfie #selfieoftheday #cremedelamer complexion in the bedroom listening to an #audible on my #kindlefire waiting for my #TeddyBoy.

I’ve been trying to write a blog for 3 days about the #midwichcuckoos effect I notice in some ppl faced w/ a #highfunctioning #autistic. I am an #Aspergirl (#Aspergers is a kind of #Autism). But I also study psychology…I practice #magick so I think that’s important. But this current blog is going all over the place. I can’t seem to make my point without ending up trying to illustrate it with anecdotes that rapidly wind up off topic.

Think I may leave it a few days b4 I try again 😛

I think I’ve written so much about #narcissisticpersonalitydisorder #npd that wherever I begin, I keep writing abt them to illustrate the difference in autism. #narcos are like the polar opposite of autistics. Terrible personality clash. But comparing atypical to atypical isn’t v helpful in explaining what is unique to the #autiste!

Grrr. I’m frustrating myself. I may write about something else and come back to my Midwich Cuckoo one.

The opening ritual is quite long and I will complete it after I chill with my #TeddyBoy…have some dinner…watch some #Axmen and #idchannel.

I’m really excited about developing my #asmr skills…it’s something I have always used in magick. Also in my personal #meditation work. But I have some ideas for applications I would like to explore. Not #roleplay or #sex – I think #asmr works well to help relax the conscious mind…but retain a higher level of concentration. Such as you would using meditation. Anyway…I will be experimenting with that soon…and will share poss on my youtube and also my wordpress…see how it goes.

Xxxx

PS. Excuse the hashtags…was posting this on other social networks…and it’s been a while since I blogged a general upd8 ♡

This blog was going to be a review of Mineral Magic mineral foundation. But it ended up with lots of natural beauty tips because though I loved Mineral Magic, as someone who rarely wears make up, I kept feeling I needed to put it in context. So it evolved into a bit of a patchy article about my beauty tips and personal habits! And with a ton pictures too. I hope you enjoy it as an “article” because as a review it’s all over the place! Xx ALM

I’m stunned by this stuff because as foundation goes, it’s very cheap; it lasts well…and basically was just “better” in so many ways than the similar mineral mineral powders I have used before. My entirely personal experiences mean I consider it the best. I consider it the only one that’s passed my tests and also also consider it to be far better than the alternatives I’ve tried in the past.

I don’t wear make up usually – and on the rare occasions I do, I like to keep it simple.

When it comes to your skin, I think you need to focus on maintenance. Healthy habits. Healthy body. Healthy mind.

I swear by daily meditation (and self healing modalities like Reiki – which I teach through Mayastar Academy Online), Creme de la Mer, Green Drink, plenty of Evian and regular cardio. If you’re not covering the basics it will show in your skin. Your skin is the largest organ that makes up your body. So if you drink, smoke, sunbathe and eat badly…it’s bound to show.

For the record, the pictures in this blog show me with and without Mineral Magic. And I labelled them accordingly – as I added them after writing the review because Mineral Magic gave such a natural look.

Also, the photos are in different light – so I put in a close up of my skin with no make up on it too – just to give an idea of my normal skin tone. Because although Mineral Magic makes a big difference to me, I am aware most people don’t realise I’m not wearing make up (except tinted lipbalm) in my selfies. And I credit that to my good habits…but especially to Creme de la Mer!

Also, although I don’t usually wear makup at all; my eyelashes are tinted. My eyebrows are tinted and sometimes enhanced with wunderbrow (goes on like a gel but works a bit like a stain so it looks natural). No eyeliner. No concealer. No blush. Sometimes I use a yellow/gold eyeshadow (usually from Lush but sometimes a touch of “unbranded” glitter).

Usually I wear Lush’s Strawberry Bombshell tinted lipbalm which is highly pigmented for a lipbalm! It’s a nice fresh fuschia pink shade (which makes your teeth look whiter) and leaves a bit of a stain when I wipe it off – leaving a very natural looking pinkness! (I am lazy so always been a fan of lipstains).

I am 43 this year. I quit drinking and smoking a long time ago. And I keep nocturnal hours so sun damage not a problem for me but for people who do have more damage Mineral Magic alone might not be suitable but I think it would would work well as an addition. It blends so well.

I also make sure I get 7 hours sleep a “day” and I never take naps – people who do nap don’t tend to sleep long enough for their bodies to start its natural “repair process”; with a good long sleep your body makes human growth hormone (HGH) and it has a rejuvenating effect. That’s the reason it’s advisable not to eat close to bed time (digesting food can interrupt the repair cycle). And why, when we talk about “getting our beauty sleep” and it being “the hours before midnight that count”, it’s a sort of tradition of knowing sleeping well and having sufficient sleep is something we have always known as “beauty” tip.

Other tips for sleep is to have a silk or satin pillow to prevent friction on your hair and skin. And many also recommmend lying on your back to prevent you scrunching your face against your pillow causing new lines…though I’m not sure how much truth there is in that!

There are things we all know we should do too – avoiding junk food and keeping hydrated are things we should be doing anyway.

I supplement my diet with Green drink, lots of Evian, Apple Cider Vinegar (great for the skin) and collagen powder which are all good for health from the inside out!

Other habits personal to me are that I henna my hair red and don’t use silicone products or conditioners on it. Whenever I henna it, I deep condition with coconut oil: healthy hair does make you look healthier.

I use Lush bath bombs every day as a “long soak”. It’s sort of like my personal “time out”. And I work out or dance (ballet, latin, hiphop) for 90 mins a day when I first get up. Cardio health is essential for good skin. If you’re not doing it, some cardio and plenty of water would be the things I consider absolutely essential for health…and that health does have a bearing on your appearance.

I consider my habits to be “health choices” but I do think over time it has made massive difference to my skin and aging in general. Daily meditation is also said to be good for your skin but any relaxation habit would be because stress is definitely not good for your skin!

If you really want to look after yourself, I would have to say I am a massive advocate of Creme de la Mer moisturiser too. My skin loves it. And though it’s expensive compared to other moisturisers, a little goes a long way. The Eye Balm Intense from La Mer is also one of my daily essentials.

An additional contribution to my complexion that I would also recommmend is…wear sunglasses! I need them because I am photosensitive. But they protect the delicate skin around your eyes which often ages before other areas of your face. Again, another positive side effect of a health based habit!

Basically, you can’t expect your skin not to suffer if you don’t look after yourself in other respects. If damaging habits are showing on the outside they are likely having an effect on your health inside. So if you do choose those things you can’t expect your health not to suffer in some ways. It would be logical to conclude that poor health would be reflected in your skin and complexion.

I think Mineral Magic is amazing. But obviously, you can’t expect Mineral Magic to miraculously mask premature aging. It’s not a face lift! And if you have discoloration you may need a bit of concealer for a perfect finish.

When I tested Mineral Magic, my biggest concern was that it may dry my skin. Other mineral powders I tried over the years gave me dry patches around my nose on my chin. Mineral Magic didn’t dry my skin – even when I tested it day and night for a few days.

Mineral Magic didn’t cause breakouts even when I slept with it on for days in a row.

It stayed on too! I would just blot my face face with a tissue whenever I applied lipbalm and that kept it looking natural. No need to repowder which means no “caking” effect as time went on.

Unlike some products, Mineral Magic didn’t cause irritation if applied close to or over my eyes.

So totally subjectively comparing it to the main competitors…my personal experience…

Sheer Cover did give me dry patches and did irritate my eyes. However, Sheer Cover are advertising a new formulation so it may be better. Also, Sheer Cover is a loose powder and bit more messy to apply…as well as being over twice the price of Mineral Magic. That’s such a big difference, I don’t feel tempted to try the “new and improved” Sheer Cover. Mineral Magic trumps it in too many ways.

The other competition would be Bare Escentuals. I never got on with it at all! Compared to Sheer Cover the coverage was no where near as good and being a loose powder it was a bit messy. And again, a far higher price tag.

So Mineral Magic was definitely top in my tests and for the convenience, coverage and price, far surpassed my expectations and far exceeded the alternatives I have used.

It’s me! #selfieoftheday showing Mineral Magic Mineral Powder (no concealer or anything…this is just the powder, appied with a kabuki brush over Creme de la Mer), eyebrows defined with wunderbrow & lush cosmetics strawberry bombshell tinted lipbalm. I am kind of testing the mineral magic. I don’t wear make up as a rule but when I do it is usually just powder, lipstain and a pair of sunglasses!

So I am wearing mineral magic when I sleep and over moisturiser, over serum, when exercising. Just doing as much as I can with it to see if it irritates around the eyes, dries the skin around my nose, causes spots etc. So far I absolutely love the stuff but am gonna continue my totally unscientific testing as I want to blog about it. I am sure I am not the only 42 year old woman who can’t be bothered with REAL makeup! So, along with my random blogs I think beauty tips and haircare is something that I consider enough to share with my followers.

By the way, I know many people who follow me are current, previous or potential students & clients of www.mayastar.net and www.mayamagickal.net – but I know some follow my artwork too. Or are into similar things (henna, magick, ballet, dance, hiphop, corsetry, preraphaelite art, poetry, tightlacing, meditation – I think some probably find a bit of a kindred spirit because of my autism – I’m aspergers which is a kind of high functioning autism – or maybe just like my style!), but I really do appreciate it!

On my various social networks I have 29000 followers at the moment and it seems amazing – and flattering in a way too. I’m not a natural when it comes to putting myself out there but because my work is online (teaching distance learning courses for spiritual development & self realisation mostly), it’s important for me to be as accessible as possible while keeping a balance.

I think my students and clients find it reassuring…they are able to get a “feel” for me as a person and my principles…and also my interests. I think that can help connect in a more personal way than I would be able to do in real life. Not because I am antisocial but more because my autism means I relate and communicate far more effectively through writing than through speaking. In most ways I am a natural hermit…but that’s a bonus in the work I do. I also think people feel more able to open up to me in a constructive way when it means they have to consider their words and articulate their thoughts and feelings in a way that encourages selfawareness far more than speaking does.

This can be an essential part of tailoring magickal work for people. I don’t advertise my magickal work as so much comes from recommendations…which is a good thing! I don’t ask people to review my magickal work because it’s v personal. I am a psychotherapist and qualified in counselling which I think also helps…but I wouldn’t advertise that either. So most online reviews are for my teaching work. There are quite a few on www.linkedin.annalouisemay.net and some of www.maya.mayastar.net (FB) too…and quite a few testimonials on the http://www.mayastar.net testimonials page. But for people interested in attunement work, I think the articles on MS – especially www.mayastar.net/courseswork.htm, help people to understand what I do and whether it’s a good fit for them. Likewise, the articles on Maya Magickal that explain what I do and my experience etc, are helpful to people considering whether my work may assist them in their personal goals.

Social media does seem a strange addition…my blogs are not exactly themed and pretty much cover my hobbies and thoughts. But I do think it’s an added dimension to online presence that’s helpful in a way that’s evolved with my work 🙂

Obviously if you work for yourself, regardless of how vocational you consider that work, advertising, marketing and letting people know you exist is important. An example is, if you wanted a new credit card you would put it in google and find the best fit for you. Whereas my services may sometimes be searched for but more often are found by people who didn’t know this kind of energy work was available – so people more often find me when looking for something similar rather than looking for me.

Gosh…that was a looong blog. I hope it makes some sense. In a nutshell, thank you to those who follow me! I really appreciate it. X

I better sign off…bubblebath blogging and the water is getting chilly…and my Teddy Boy is due for dinner and some Studio Ghibli entertainment soon.

As a non make up wearer (tint my eyebrows & eyelashes and wear tinted lipbalm), the only make up I use on occasions is a little gold eyeshadow, copper liner, brown mascara and a lip stain. As far as base goes??? Mineral powders for a light all over airbrish look, a light reflecting powder finish (from #CremedelaMer). If I have under eye shadows I use #toucheeclat (#ysl).

If I need cheek colour I use a baby pink stain (like #posietint by #benefit).

And nowadays I use #wunderbrow to give better definition.

The thing is…I have tried a lot of powders. I have had compacts from YSL and CDLM that gave better coverage than some famous big brand ‘pure mineral’ foundations. I have had some that were so drying I got red patches. And one that seemed to irritate my eyes no matter how carefully I applied it. I have tried Lush’s version…but it’s a finishing powder not a foundation by any mean and it’s loose but in a tiny jar which makes it harder to use. CDLM loose powder and YSL are both v v fine and light and not at all drying.

So, the other day I saw #mineralmagic advertised. £10 on Amazon. A compact applied with a kabuki type brush. I applied a generous amount. Then I used a tissue to wipe away excess around the hairline and eyebrows and had a close look to see if it looked natural. It did.

This is supposed to have different coloured powders combined to neutralise redness or a sallowness. This seemed far fetched as a claim but the reviews are amazing.

I left it all night and had another close up…I could see areas where it had settled in small creases. You wouldn’t notice unless using a magnifying mirror and this is why I had used a large quantity…to see if as the night wore on, with no touch ups, it might coagulate a bit. It didn’t much. It could have been easily touched up because there was no concealer under it so a quick wipe with a tissue and reapplication would mean you didn’t end up with a pancake effect from layer upon layer.

As part of this experiment I am going to wear it in bed for a couple of days to really test whether it’s drying.

I mentioned Lush earlier. Other brands…Sheer cover dried my skin. Great coverage but was drying. Bare Escentuals was a lighter powder but didn’t have the light reflecting properties of sheer cover. It didn’t provide a one stop solution and I am far too lazy to spend time applying or reapplying make up.

So this is part one of my Mineral Magic review. My notes so far…

Colour is excellent
Colour density means no concealor needed
Stayed put & v minimal creasing over a day
Very matt finish at first but after an hour it looks more natural
Unlike some others I applied this liberally even close to my eyes and had no irritation
It’s very very cheap compared to other brands

So, now I will wipe excess with a tissue. Reapply. Wipe around my hairline and use a clean kabuki brush to remove any excess and check in, in a couple of days to let you know if it’s drying or causes spots or anything! Xx